The Iran international missed the final stages of last term after colliding with an advertising hoarding in the 3-2 victory over Queens Park Rangers on 1st April and suffering ligament damage.

He has been working hard on his fitness since being sent for surgery and feels he should be available for selection when the Cottagers kick off their 2013/14 campaign against Sunderland on 17 August.

"I feel good. It has been nine weeks since my operation and I have started running," he told the club's official website.

"I am looking forward to starting training again soon and I have five or six weeks to work with the physios to get me in the best possible shape for pre-season games and the start of the Premier League."

Dejagah joined Fulham from Wolfsburg last summer and had just begun to show his best form when he suffered the injury.

"It was a big blow," he admitted. "It was the first time that I have suffered a big injury like that and it was frustrating as I was playing well. It would have been great to finish the season and help the team, but this is football and hopefully I can come back even stronger.

"I am very motivated because I want to build on last season. I really enjoyed playing in the Premier League and it was good for me to play.

"I hope I am ready for the first game and have enough time to work with the team before the start of the season. I look forward to playing a part in pre-season so I can be as fit as possible."

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t's wrong to be making a joke out of Bender's name at the expense of gay people. It's the kind of childish, uncivilised thing that Football365 would deride and ridicule if it was another media outlet saying. Why is there a need for jokes like this? Does it make your writers feel like men? F365 might suggest that I 'lighten up', but it is genuinely traumatic for people who have been oppressed all their lives to be the butt of jokes, and to be told...

ou can't blame De Gea for wanting to leave, he has enough to do in front of goal as it is as well as taking on the role of Man Utd's version of Derek Acorah in trying to contact and organise a defence that isn't there.